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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26833651">Your kind words are timeless</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScoutSquid/pseuds/ScoutSquid'>ScoutSquid</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dr Who - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Non-sarcastic River, Post timeless child, She doesn’t get any but she gets comfort, Thirteen needs a hug, because apparently that’s possible, comforting river, so I will, the show hasn’t addressed thirteen’s trauma enough</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:54:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,180</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26833651</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScoutSquid/pseuds/ScoutSquid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Basically just a small oneshot collection of post-timeless child fluff.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>The Doctor/River Song, Thirteenth Doctor &amp; Yasmin Khan &amp; Graham O'Brien &amp; Ryan Sinclair, Thirteenth Doctor/River Song</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I closed my eyes wearily. Graham was trying to crawl out from underneath the Tardis console, while Yas and Ryan tried, with little success to pull him out. I sighed. </p><p>“Doctor! Why aren’t you helping?!” </p><p>“I don’t need to. Neither do you. Graham, look.” </p><p>“At what?!” </p><p>“Nat at, with. With your eyes, Graham. Look around you. There should be a door to your right. 3 o’clock.” Graham looked, and, much to the fam’s embarrassment, saw an open door with a staircase leading directly to the upper chamber. </p><p>“Oh.” Graham made his way back up. </p><p>Yas looked at me from my right, thinking I couldn’t see her. Joke’s on her- this body has excellent peripheral vision. “Yes, Yas?” </p><p>Yas started. “Oh, ah, sorry. I was just thinking... you’ve been acting strange today. Actually, since Galifray.” </p><p>At the mention of my ‘home’, I stiffened. Trying to seem ok, trying to stop my voice from shaking, I replied. </p><p>“Sorry. I must just be tired. I guess this whole ‘Time-Lord-Cybermen’ thing spooked me a little more than I thought.” Yas’s eyes narrowed. </p><p>“You’re lying.” </p><p>“Am not.” </p><p>“Am too. You’re a horrible liar. What are you hiding?” She stepped forward, and I stepped back on instinct. Her eyes widened. Realising my mistake, I took a step forward, but the damage was done. </p><p>“You’re scared.” I stayed silent, not trusting myself to deny her. “What are you scared of?” </p><p>I looked away, letting my hair fall into my face. We stood like that for a while, a lot closer than I had realised. </p><p>“Whatever it is, you can just tell us.” </p><p>“How could I?” They didn’t expect that. </p><p>“What?” </p><p>“How could I? How could I do that? How could I burden you? Put you in the line of fire like that? Because, trust me, in my experience? Telling people stuff only gets them hurt. And I am sick and tired of people getting hurt. So, how could I?” </p><p>They stood in shock for a few moments. </p><p>“You just tell us.” Her voice was soft. I closed my eyes. </p><p>“That would be so easy, wouldn’t it? To just tell people things. To not worry. But that’s never been my life. Never will be. My life had been hard decision after obstacle after hard decision after death. After death after death after death. It will always be. I’m so close to being immortal. I never wanted to be. Immortality isn’t living forever, it’s dying forever. But that’s just what I get, right? That’s my lot in life. To watch as I get to love people, and then to watch as they die. One after one after one. Great, isn’t it? Worse than the lot of a Time Lord. Similar, but longer. Harder.” My voice rose as I spoke, and so did my face. Turning back to Yas, she looked... surprised. Startled. </p><p>I blinked away a few burning tears. </p><p>“Sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out.” </p><p>“No... it’s ok. We asked you to talk to us, and you did. Also... I’m sorry. Do you want to talk?” I sighed and sat. </p><p>“This is going to be a long conversation, so take a seat and get yourselves comfortable.” The fam all came and sat down slowly. They gave a nod when they were ready. </p><p>“So, what do you want to know?” </p><p>I don’t know how long I could keep from screaming. I wan’t usually like this- I was usually able to stay in control...</p><p> </p><p>“Well... Time Lords? You talk about them like you aren’t one.” To that I sighed and closed my eyes, steeling myself to race through the explanation as fast as I could. </p><p>“That is a whole other story altogether. When we all went to Galifray... there was a period of time I was left alone with the Master. Basically, he dragged me through the Time Lord matrix- don’t ask, I don’t want to make this explanation any more complicated- and through memories from a while back.” I took a breath. “So... AsitturnsoutI’mnotaTimeLordI’msomethingcalledaTimelessChildandIwasabandonedonadesolateplanetasachildandthenwasdiscoveredbyawomannamedTechteunandwasexperimentedonuntilshehadunlockedthehiddensecrettoregenerationinmyDNAandhadmymemorieswipedandwasconvincedthatIwasanormalTimeLorduntilnow.” </p><p>“Woah, woah, slow down. I don’t think any of us heard any of that. Sorry.” </p><p>“Oh. Sorry. As it turns out I’m not a Time Lord, I’m something called a Timeless Child and I was abandoned on a desolate planet as a child. I then was discovered by a woman named Techteun and was experimented on until she had unlocked the hidden secret to regeneration in my DNA and had my memories wiped and was convinced that I was a normal Time Lord until now. Any questions?” </p><p>Silence. </p><p>Then- </p><p>“Experimented?” </p><p>Even hearing the word hurt. </p><p>“Yes, Yas. Experimented. My memories have started coming back- that’s why I’ve been acting so weird. I... remember a lot of things that I would rather not know. I’m just... trying to figure it out. Working through it all. So I’m sorry if I’ve been a little careless, or rude or cruel. I’m trying to fix things, I just don’t know how.” Yas looked into my eyes. </p><p>“That’s ok. I don’t blame you. None of us do. Just... tell us, ok? We’re here.” I smiled at that. They didn’t know what they were signing themselves up for, but for now, the thought (and the promise) was enough.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Still The Doctor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Doctor? Doctor. Look at you.” Tears ran down my face. I felt broken. I knew more- but the more I knew, the more I realised I didn’t know. </p><p>“Doctor, let me help.” </p><p>“Please. Don’t call me that. Not when it’s a lie.” </p><p>There was a moment of silence as River sat next to me. “No. It’s not a lie. It never was. You chose to be The Doctor- this won’t change that. Your past won’t change that. You’re still you.” </p><p>Tears splashed against the ground. </p><p>“But who is that? How do I know?” </p><p>“Doctor. No-one’s ever truly sure of who they are. They all think they know- they see a version of themselves. Whether it’s good or bad, it’s what they see. This? Now? You’re being braver than so many. You’re admitting that you don’t know. And that tells me enough of who you are in itself.” </p><p>“And what is that?” I looked up. My tears had slowed, though they still clouded my eyes and face. My wife brushed them away softly and smiled. </p><p>“Someone who is willing to try. To admit that they’re scared, and to move on. To call for help- however hard that is.” A tender hand rested on my cheek. “Someone brave.” </p><p>I finally looked into her eyes. The world went still. I missed this. I missed her. I had missed her crazy smile, and her mad laugh. </p><p>“I missed you.” </p><p>“I missed you too. But don’t let that hold you back. Doctor, we both know I’m gone. Don’t live life in spite of me. Live it with me. Take a chance. Please. Put all your demons to bed. Learn from them- but you’re strong. So you don’t need me. You need you more than any other living being in the whole universe. Don’t forget that.” </p><p>“I won’t.” I smiled. “Goodbye, River. And thank you for the ride.”</p>
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